MADAGASCAR

COUNTRY OVERVIEW

LOCATION AND SIZE.

Madagascar lies in the southern Indian Ocean some 400 miles off
Africa's eastern shore. With a land area of 587,039 square
kilometers (226,656 square miles) Madagascar is a little less than twice
the size of Arizona. It is also the world's fourth largest
island, with a coastline of 4,827 kilometers (3,000 miles).
Madagascar's capital is Antananarivo (population 2 million),
located on its central plateau 1,468 meters (4,816 feet) above sea
level. Other major cities include Fianarantsoa (population 440,000),
inland in the southern part of the island; Taomasina (population
330,000), the principal port, located on the eastern seaboard;
Antsiranana (population 320,000), at its northern-most tip; and
Mahajanga (population 295,000), site of the country's second
international airport. Madagascar's highest point is a mountain
called Maromokotro (2,876 meters or 9,436 feet), located in the
Tsaratanana Massif region along the island's central spine.

POPULATION.

Demographic statistics for Madagascar are scarce and often unreliable,
but a mid-2000 estimate by the U.N. Population Fund places its
population at around 15.9 million. Although relative to its size this
figure is below the average of its sub-Saharan neighbors, growth is
brisk. With an annual birthrate estimated at 42.92 per 1,000 of
population—around 3 percent per annum for the years 1995 to
2000—the fragility of Madagascar's environment makes this
expansion a significant concern. The average life expectancy at birth of
54.95 years is relatively high by sub-Saharan standards, but poverty and
malnutrition are nevertheless endemic, sanitation is very poor, and
disease (especially cholera and malaria) is an ever-present threat. Some
27 percent of Malagasy (the people of Madagascar) lived in urban areas
in 1998, a population segment which was growing at the rapid rate of 5.6
percent a year as rural inhabitants quit the countryside for the cities.

Ethnically, Madagascar is an unusual mix. Its 2 largest ethnic groups
are the Indonesian-descended Merina (26 percent) and Betsileo (12
percent), who are historically concentrated in the central highlands,
including the capital. Other groups include the Arab-African
Betsimisaraka (15 percent) and Tsimehety (7 percent) of the east and
north, respectively; and the Antandroy, of more purely (Bantu) African
origin, in the south (5 percent). The prevalence of a unified language,
the Malay-Indonesian Malagasy, has tended to work against sharp ethnic
divisions, though there is some on-going chafing against Merina
political domination. Religiously, 52 percent of Madagascar's
people hold indigenous beliefs, 41 percent are Christian and 7 percent
Muslim.

SERVICES

TOURISM.

Madagascar's climate, beaches (4,827 kilometers—or 3,000
miles—of them), and unique ecology (Madagascar is home to many
endangered species of flora and fauna) make tourism one of its most
dynamic and promising sectors. The industry has the potential not only
to create jobs and wealth, but to turn Madagascar's unusual and
endangered environment into a productive asset. Interest is great, and
two-thirds of the country's visitors come for eco-tourism. In
1998, tourists brought in US$92.2 million. But although visitor numbers
are rising steadily (doubling since 1994), volume is still low.In 1997
Madagascar attracted less than a fifth of neighboring Mauritius's
536,000 visitors. Further development of the industry also faces
significant difficulties. Air links to Europe and Asia are few and
expensive, hotel facilities are sparse and inadequate, and investment is
scarce. Government attempts to meet these obstacles have included
rationalizing (removing inconsistencies and streamlining) the relevant
laws, creating a coordinated tourist authority, and liberalizing the
airline market.

FINANCIAL SERVICES.

Limitations in the financial sector continue to impede growth. The
nation's assets are controlled by the central bank and 5
commercial banks, the largest of which, BNI-Credit Lyonnais, has a total
asset base of US$200 million. Few Malagasy, however, qualify for these
banks' services. The problem is especially acute in the rural
areas where only 1.5 percent of small farmers have access to credit; the
agriculture sector itself receives only 5 percent of total lending. High
interest loan rates and fees have also discouraged business borrowing.
The lack of a stock exchange and shareholding culture have further
restricted financing options.

RETAIL.

Few in Madagascar can afford more than the bare essentials, and steady
depreciation of the currency has eroded purchasing power even further.
This combined with the poor condition of the country's transport
network means that trade tends to be localized and retailing minimal.
However, the opening of the economy has expanded the range of goods
available somewhat, especially in the main urban centers like
Antananarivo.

DEPENDENCIES

Madagascar has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Mervyn.
Madagascar Rediscovered: A History from Early Times to Independence.
Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books, 1979.

I had visited Madagascar from 16 September 2013 till 1 October 2013. I had visited Tamatave, Foulepoint and Mahambo. Magnificent beautiful coastline and photo opportunity's. However, the country is filthy, roads very very bad condition, no proper infra-structure, for example; Restaurants (That's worth calling a Restaurant) warm water, clean food (flies accepted as part of preparing your food)Hotels, shops, toilet facilities, no well trained chefs to prepare food etc. Small children next to major roads filling up potholes to earn some ariary (there local currency. This Island can be turned around in a major tourist destination, but ...